Data 100

Syllabus

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About Data 100

Combining data, computation, and inferential thinking, data science is redefining how people and organizations solve challenging problems and understand their world. This intermediate level class bridges between Data 8 and upper division computer science and statistics courses as well as methods courses in other fields. In this class, we explore key areas of data science including question formulation, data collection and cleaning, visualization, statistical inference, predictive modeling, and decision making.​ Through a strong emphasis on data centric computing, quantitative critical thinking, and exploratory data analysis, this class covers key principles and techniques of data science. These include languages for transforming, querying and analyzing data; algorithms for machine learning methods including regression, classification and clustering; principles behind creating informative data visualizations; statistical concepts of measurement error and prediction; and techniques for scalable data processing.

Goals

  • Prepare students for advanced Berkeley courses in data-management, machine learning, and statistics, by providing the necessary foundation and context.
  • Enable students to start careers as data scientists by providing experience working with real-world data, tools, and techniques.
  • Empower students to apply computational and inferential thinking to address real-world problems.

Prerequisites

While we are working to make this class widely accessible, we currently require the following (or equivalent) prerequisites. Prerequisites will be enforced in this class. It is your responsibility to know the material in the prerequisites. The instructors do not have the authority to waive these requirements. You should fill out the Enrollment Exception Form managed by CDSS to request an exception.

  • Foundations of Data Science: Data 8 covers much of the material in Data 100 but at an introductory level. Data8 provides basic exposure to python programming and working with tabular data as well as visualization, statistics, and machine learning.
  • Computing: The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (CS 61A) or Computational Structures in Data Science (CS 88). These courses provide additional background in python programming (e.g., for loops, lambdas, debugging, and complexity) that will enable Data 100 to focus more on the concepts in Data Science and less on the details of programming in python.
  • Math: Linear Algebra (Math 54, EE 16A, or Stat 89A): We will need some basic concepts like linear operators, eigenvectors, derivatives, and integrals to enable statistical inference and derive new prediction algorithms. This may be satisfied concurrently to Data 100.


Course Culture

Students taking Data C100 come from a wide range of backgrounds. We hope to foster an inclusive and safe learning environment based on curiosity rather than competition. All members of the course community—the instructor, students, and GSIs—are expected to treat each other with courtesy and respect. Some of the responsibility for that lies with the staff, but a lot of it ultimately rests with you, the students.

Be Aware of Your Actions

Sometimes, the little things add up to creating an unwelcoming culture to some students. For example, you and a friend may think you are sharing in a private joke about other races, majors, genders, abilities, cultures, etc. but this can have adverse effects on classmates who overhear it. There is a great deal of research on something called “stereotype threat,” which finds simply reminding someone that they belong to a particular culture or share a particular identity (on whatever dimension) can interfere with their course performance.

Stereotype threat works both ways: you can assume that a student will struggle based on who they appear to be, or you can assume that a student is doing great based on who they appear to be. Both are potentially harmful.

Bear in mind that diversity has many facets, some of which are not visible. Your classmates may have medical conditions (physical or mental), personal situations (financial, family, etc.), or interests that aren’t common to most students in the course. Another aspect of professionalism is avoiding comments that (likely unintentionally) put down colleagues for situations they cannot control. Bragging in open space that an assignment is easy or “crazy,” for example, can send subtle cues that discourage classmates who are dealing with issues that you can’t see. Please take care, so we can create a class in which all students feel supported and respected.

Be Respectful

Beyond the slips that many of us make unintentionally are a host of behaviors that the course staff, department, and university do not tolerate. These are generally classified under the term harassment; sexual harassment is a specific form that is governed by federal laws known as Title IX.

UC Berkeley’s Title IX website provides many resources for understanding the terms, procedures, and policies around harassment. Make sure you are aware enough of these issues to avoid crossing a line in your interactions with other students. For example, repeatedly asking another student out on a date after they have said no can cross this line.

Your reaction to this topic might be to laugh it off, or to make or think snide remarks about “political correctness” or jokes about consent or other things. You might think people just need to grow a thicker skin or learn to take a joke. This isn’t your decision to make. Research shows the consequences (emotional as well as physical) on people who experience harassment. When your behavior forces another student to focus on something other than their education, you have crossed a line. You have no right to take someone else’s education away from them.

Communicate Issues with Course Staff

Professionalism and respect for diversity are not just matters between students; they also apply to how the course staff treat the students. The staff of this course will treat you in a way that respects our differences. However, despite our best efforts, we might slip up, hopefully inadvertently. If you are concerned about classroom environment issues created by the staff or overall class dynamic, please feel free to talk to us about it. The instructors in particular welcome any comments or concerns regarding conduct of the course and the staff.

We are committed to creating a learning environment welcoming of all students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences and respects your identities and backgrounds (including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, language, religion, ability, and more.) To help accomplish this:

  • If your name and/or pronouns differ from those that appear in your official records, please let us know.
  • If you feel like your performance in the class is being affected by your experiences outside of class (e.g., family matters, current events), please don’t hesitate to come and talk with us. We want to be resources for you.
  • We (like many people) are still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said in class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to us about it.
  • While the course staff understands that improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not enough to overcome systemic issues in academia such as racism, queerphobia, and other forms of discrimination and hatred, we also recognize the importance of DEI work.
  • If there are other resources you think we should list here, let us know!

We take all complaints about unprofessional or discriminatory behavior seriously.

Course Components

Below is a high-level “typical week in the course” for Fall 2022.

Mo Tu We Th Fr
Office Hours Office Hours Office Hours Office Hours Office Hours
  Live Lecture   Live Lecture  
  Discussion Section      
      Homework N-1 due Homework N released
  Lab N-1 due     Lab N released
Quick check N-1 due     Quick check N released  
  • All deadlines are subject to change.
  • Office Hours are scheduled on the Calendar page.
  • Lectures, discussions, assignments, projects, and exams are scheduled on the Home page.


Lecture

There are 2 live lectures per week. Lectures will be in Wheeler 150 and broadcasted live on Zoom. All lecture recordings will also be published within 24 hours of the live recording.

Discussion

Live discussion sections are on Tuesdays, lasting for one hour. The goal of these sessions is to work through problems, hone your skills, and flesh out your understanding as part of a team. The problems that you solve and present as part of discussion are important in understanding this material.

  • You need to be assigned to a discussion section. Sign-ups will be posted on Ed.
  • Discussion attendance is mandatory for students enrolled in Data 100. Discussion attendance is not mandatory for students enrolled in Data 200.
  • Each discussion will be graded on a 0/1 basis. As of now, that one point will be based on attendance to only the section you signed up for at the beginning of the semester. Please attend the discussion section you signed up for on Sign Up Genius. If you are unable to attend your section or were unable to sign up for a section, feel free to attend one of the 4 online discussions (#42). For the first three weeks, you will be able to attend any online section and receive credit. We are working to allow for more section availability in the coming days.

Homework and Projects

Homeworks are half-week-long assignments that are designed to help students develop an in-depth understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of ideas presented in lecture.

Projects: Projects are week-long assignments that synthesize multiple topics.

  • Homeworks and projects have both visible and hidden autograder tests. The visible tests are mainly sanity checks. For example, a sanity check might verify that the answer you entered is a number as expected, and not a word. The hidden tests generally check for correctness, and are invisible to students while they are doing the assignment.
  • The primary form of support students will have for homeworks and projects are the office hours we’ll host, and Ed.
  • Homeworks and projects must be completed individually. See the Collaboration Policy for more details.

Lab

Labs are shorter programming assignments designed to give students familiarity with new ideas.

  • All lab autograder tests are visible.
  • We will not be having Lab sections this semester. Rather, we’ll provide extensive lab support on Ed.
  • All labs are intended to take about an hour.
  • Lab walkthroughs will be released following the lab due date. These will primarily help to build our staff intuition for solving lab problems and how they can be applied to more difficult homework questions.

Quick Checks

Quick checks are weekly short assignments to check that you are keeping up with lectures. They should take around 10 minutes to complete. They will be assigned on Gradescope and mainly consist of multiple choice questions. Your three lowest scores will be dropped.

Office Hours and Communication

The office hours and locations (mainly in Warren 101) are listed on the Calendar; office hours will mainly be held in-person, with some virtual options available. Instructor office hours are also listed on the calendar.

In general, students can come to office hours for any questions on course assignments or material. We will also have Homework/Project parties Wednesday 5-8 PM, where you can come work with your peers and ask questions.

Office hour queues are managed through oh.ds100.org, where students add themselves to the “queue” and specify the assignment they need help on.

EdStem, or Ed for short, is our course forum this summer. The course is here. Please check out EdStem or the FAQ page first before emailing instructors.

Staff email: You can email data100.instructors@berkeley.edu and one of the TAs will get back to you. Note that to ensure more timely responses, this address is monitored by a team of two instructors (Fernando and Will), Head TA’s (Kanu Grover and Dominic Liu), as well as several lead GSIs, to ensure more timely responses.

For sensitive matters, you should directly contact the Head TA’s Kanu Grover and Dominic Liu. You should only contact Fernando and Will directly for matters that require strict privacy and their direct attention.

Exams

There will be two exams in this course:

  • Midterm on Wednesday, October 19 7-9PM PT.
  • Final on Tuesday, December 13 3-6PM PT (exam group 7).

Alternate exam policies:

  • Midterm: We will not offer alternate exams except for students with DSP, student atheletes.
  • Final: The course only allows for time conflicts for specifc courses that have been pre-approved for conflicts, after planning with course instructors of those courses and the Division. If, at the time of the final, you are enrolled in a course approved for finals conflicts, you will be allowed to take an alternate exam that will be offered only once after the Data 100 final. Currently the ONLY course approved for final exam time conflicts is: CS 70.

Graduate Final Project

All students enrolled in the graduate version of the course (CS C200 or Stat C200C, i.e. Data 200) will be graded according to the Graduate grading scheme, which includes a graduate final project. More details to follow.

Policies

Grading Scheme

Category Data 100 Data 200 Details
Homeworks 25% 25% No drop
Projects 15% 15% No drop
Labs 10% - Drop 2 lowest scores
Discussion 5% - Drop 3 lowest scores
Quick Checks 5% 5% Drop 3 lowest scores
Midterm Exam 15% 15%  
Final Exam 25% 25%  
Graduate Final Project - 15%  

Note: Unlike previous semesters, we will not offer homework drops, instead, we will offer 5 slip days that you can use across homeworks, labs, and projects. See the next section for more details.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on the due date specified on the syllabus.

Slip Days

You have a total of 5 slip days that you can apply to your semester’s assignments (Homeworks, Projects, and Labs). To use your slip days on an assignment, you need to fill out the Slip Day Request Google Form released on Ed and here. We will not award points for any late assignment you submit that would bring your total slip days over 5. If you are in the Disabled Students’ Program and you are offered an extension, even with your extension plus slip days combined, no single assignment can be extended more than 5 days.

  • Do not plan to use your slip days: we’re providing them for unforeseen circumstances. They are a budget for you to handle, on your own, issues that arise and make you late with an assignment. They are not a “rainy day fund” to stash away for when you’re pressed for time, requesting extensions elsewhere.
  • Slip days are full days, not hours. If you are 1 hour late, you need to use 1 slip day. (Why? We’d rather you get some sleep and make an attempt to finish the assignment the next day instead of staying up to micromanage hours.)
  • Extension beyond slip days: You must use your slip days first before you can request any extension. Only once you have zero slip days left can you request an extension. At that point, we will require supporting documentation and extensions will only be granted for exceptional situations (doctor-documented illness, major family emergency, etc.)

Extensions are provided to students with DSP accommodations, or in the case of exceptional circumstances. If you have DSP accommodations, you should expect to receive an email from us. Otherwise, email our Communications TA Samantha Hing to request an extension. If you make a request close to the deadline, we can not guarantee that you will receive a response before the deadline. Additionally, simply submitting a request does not guarantee you will receive an extension. Even if your work is incomplete, please submit before the deadline so you can receive credit for the work you did complete.

Note that extension requests will not be granted in cases where a student’s local (DataHub) tests are not passing. It is the student’s responsibility to solve such problems in advance of the deadline.

Regrade Requests

Students will be allowed to submit regrade requests for the autograded and written portions of assignments in cases in which the rubric was incorrectly applied or the autograder scored their submission incorrectly. Regrades for the written portions of assignments will be handled through Gradescope, and autograder regrades via a Google Form. The deadline for regrade requests (autograded and written) is one week after grades are released for the corresponding assignment.

Always check that the autograder executes correctly! Gradescope will show you the output of the public tests, and you should see the same results as you did on DataHub. If you see a discrepancy, ensure that you have exported the assignment correctly and, if there is still an issue, post on EdStem as soon as possible.

Regrade requests will not be considered in cases in which:

  • a student uploads the incorrect file to the autograder.
  • the autograder fails to execute and the student does not notify the course staff before the assignment deadline.
  • a student fails to save their notebook before exporting and uploads an old version to the autograder.
  • a situation arises in which the course staff cannot ensure that the student’s work was done before the assignment deadline.

Collaboration Policy and Academic Dishonesty

We will be following the EECS departmental policy on Academic Honesty, which states that using work or resources that are not your own or not permitted by the course may lead to disciplinary actions, up to and including a failing grade in the course.

Assignments. Data science is a collaborative activity. While you may talk with others about the homework and projects, we ask that you write your solutions individually in your own words. If you do discuss the assignments with others please include their names at the top of your notebook. Keep in mind that content from assignments will likely be covered on both the midterm and final.

If we suspect that you have submitted plagiarized work, we will call you in for a meeting. If we then determine that plagiarism has occurred, we reserve the right to give you a negative full score (-100%) or lower on the assignments in question, along with reporting your offense to the Center of Student Conduct.

Rather than copying someone else’s work, ask for help. You are not alone in this course! The entire staff is here to help you succeed. If you invest the time to learn the material and complete the assignments, you won’t need to copy any answers. (taken from CS61A)

We also ask that you do not post your assignment solutions publicly.

Exams. Cheating on exams is a serious offense. We have methods of detecting cheating on exams – so don’t do it! Students caught cheating on any exam will fail this course.

We want you to succeed!

If you are feeling overwhelmed, visit our office hours and talk with us. We know college can be stressful – and especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic – and we want to help you succeed.

Important Note: We are committed to being a resource to you, but it is important to note that all members of the teaching staff for this course are responsible employees, meaning that we must disclose any incidents of sexual harassment or violence to campus authorities. If you would like to speak to a confidential advocate, please consider reaching out to the Berkeley PATH to Care Center.

Additional Resources

Please see our Resources page for course content resources, including the optional supplementary textbook.

COVID-19 Resources and Support

You can find UC Berkeley’ COVID-19 resources and support here.

For academic performance, support, and technology

The Center for Access to Engineering Excellence (Bechtel Engineering Center 227) is an inclusive center that offers study spaces, nutritious snacks, and tutoring in >50 courses for Berkeley engineers and other majors across campus. The Center also offers a wide range of professional development, leadership, and wellness programs, and loans iclickers, laptops, and professional attire for interviews.

As the primary academic support service for undergraduates at UC Berkeley, the Student Learning Center (510-642-7332) assists students in transitioning to Cal, navigating the academic terrain, creating networks of resources, and achieving academic, personal, and professional goals. Through various services including tutoring, study groups, workshops, and courses, SLC supports undergraduate students in Biological and Physical Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, Economics, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Statistics, Study Strategies, and Writing.

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP, Cesar Chavez Student Center 119; 510-642-7224) at Cal has provided first generation and low income college students with the guidance and resources necessary to succeed at the best public university in the world. EOP’s individualized academic counseling, support services, and extensive campus referral network help students develop the unique gifts and talents they each bring to the university while empowering them to achieve.

The Student Technology Equity Program connects laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, and other required technology to students in need.

For mental well-being

The staff of the UHS Counseling and Psychological Services (Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way; 510-642-9494; for after-hours support, please call the 24/7 line at 855-817-5667) provides confidential, brief counseling and crisis intervention to students with personal, academic and career stress. Services are provided by a multicultural group of professional counselors including psychologists, social workers, and advanced level trainees. All undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for CAPS services, regardless of insurance coverage.

To improve access for engineering students, a licensed psychologist from the Tang Center also holds walk-in appointments for confidential counseling in Bechtel Engineering Center 241 (check here for schedule).

For disability accommodations

The Disabled Students’ Program (DSP, 260 César Chávez Student Center #4250; 510-642-0518) serves students with disabilities of all kinds, including mobility impairments, blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing; chronic illnesses (chronic pain, repetitive strain injuries, brain injuries, AIDS/HIV, cancer, etc.) psychological disabilities (bipolar disorder, severe anxiety or depression, etc.), Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Learning Disabilities. Services are individually designed and based on the specific needs of each student as identified by DSP’s Specialists. The Program’s official website includes information on DSP staff, UCB’s disabilities policy, application procedures, campus access guides for most university buildings, and portals for students and faculty.

For solving a dispute

The Ombudsperson for Students (Sproul Hall 102; 510-642-5754) provides a confidential service for students involved in a University-related problem (academic or administrative), acting as a neutral complaint resolver and not as an advocate for any of the parties involved in a dispute. The Ombudsperson can provide information on policies and procedures affecting students, facilitate students’ contact with services able to assist in resolving the problem, and assist students in complaints concerning improper application of University policies or procedures. All matters referred to this office are held in strict confidence. The only exceptions, at the sole discretion of the Ombudsperson, are cases where there appears to be imminent threat of serious harm.

The Student Advocate’s Office (SAO) is an executive, non-partisan office of the ASUC. We offer free, confidential casework services and resources to any student(s) navigating issues with the University, including academic, conduct, financial aid, and grievance concerns. All support is centered around students and aims for an equity-based approach.

For recovery from sexual harassment or sexual assault

The Care Line (510-643-2005) is a 24/7, confidential, free, campus-based resource for urgent support around sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, stalking, and invasion of sexual privacy. The Care Line will connect you with a confidential advocate for trauma-informed crisis support including time-sensitive information, securing urgent safety resources, and accompaniment to medical care or reporting.

For social services

Social Services provides confidential services and counseling to help students with managing problems that can emerge from illness such as financial, academic, legal, family concerns, and more. They specialize in helping students with pregnancy resources and referrals; alcohol/drug problems related to one’s own or a family member’s use; sexual assault/rape; relationship or other violence; and support for health concerns-new diagnoses or ongoing conditions. Social Services staff will assess a student’s immediate needs, work with the student to develop a plan to meet those needs, and facilitate arrangements with academic departments and advocate for the student with other campus offices and community agencies, as well as coordinate services within UHS.

For finding community on campus

The mission of the Berkeley International Office (2299 Piedmont Avenue, 510-642-2818) is to provide support with all the essential resources needed to not only survive, but thrive here at UC Berkeley. Their mission is to support you and work together towards justice and belonging for all. They define Basic Needs as the essential resources that impact your health, belonging, persistence, and overall well being. It is an ecosystem that includes: nutritious food, stable housing, hygiene, transportation, healthcare, mental wellness, financial sustainability, sleep, and emergency dependent services. They refuse to accept hunger, homelessness, and all other basic needs injustices as part of our university.

The Gender Equity Resource Center, fondly referred to as GenEq, is a UC Berkeley campus community center committed to fostering an inclusive Cal experience for all. GenEq is the campus location where students, faculty, staff and Alumni connect for resources, services, education and leadership programs related to gender and sexuality. The programs and services of the Gender Equity Resource Center are focused into four key areas: women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT); sexual and dating violence; and hate crimes and bias driven incidents. GenEq strives to provide a space for respectful dialogue about sexuality and gender; illuminate the interrelationship of sexism, homophobia and gender bias and violence; create a campus free of violence and hate; provide leadership opportunities; advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual, hate, dating and gender violence; foster a community of women and LGBT leaders; and be a portal to campus and community resources on LGBT, Women, and the many intersections of identity (e.g., race, class, ability, etc.).

The Undocumented Students Program (119 Cesar Chavez Center; 642-7224) practices a holistic, multicultural and solution-focused approach that delivers individualized service for each student. The academic counseling, legal support, financial aid resources and extensive campus referral network provided by USP helps students develop the unique gifts and talents they each bring to the university, while empowering a sense of belonging. The program’s mission is to support the advancement of undocumented students within higher education and promote pathways for engaged scholarship.

The Multicultural Education Program (MEP) is one of six initiatives funded by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund to work towards institutional change and to create a positive campus climate for diversity. The MEP is a five-year initiative to establish a sustainable infrastructure for activities like educational consultation and diversity workshops for the campus that address both specific topics, and to cater to group needs across the campus.

For basic needs (food, shelter, etc.)

The Basic Needs Center (lower level of MLK Student Union, Suite 72) provides support with all the essential resources needed to not only survive, but thrive here at UC Berkeley. Their mission is to support you and work together towards justice and belonging for all. They define Basic Needs as the essential resources that impact your health, belonging, persistence, and overall well being. It is an ecosystem that includes: nutritious food, stable housing, hygiene, transportation, healthcare, mental wellness, financial sustainability, sleep, and emergency dependent services. They refuse to accept hunger, homelessness, and all other basic needs injustices as part of our university.

The UC Berkeley Food Pantry (#68 Martin Luther King Student Union) aims to reduce food insecurity among students and staff at UC Berkeley, especially the lack of nutritious food. Students and staff can visit the pantry as many times as they need and take as much as they need while being mindful that it is a shared resource. The pantry operates on a self-assessed need basis; there are no eligibility requirements. The pantry is not for students and staff who need supplemental snacking food, but rather, core food support.

Acknowledgments!

Course Culture and Additional Resources inspired and adapted with permission from Dr. Sarah Chasins’ Fall 2021 CS 164 Syllabus and Grace O’Connell, the Asssociate Dean for Inclusive Excellence.